Let's Talk About Trade: The Politicization and Framing of International Trade Policy
28 Pages Posted: 21 Aug 2014
Date Written: 2014
Abstract
When, why, and how will political elites politicize issues related to international trade in the domestic political sphere? We argue that the welfare effects and complexity of a state's international trade policies affect the degree to which political elites will bring issues related to international trade into domestic discussions, as well as the way those discussions of trade are framed. Political elites are more likely to discuss international trade, in general, when the welfare effects of their state's trade policies are greater. Moreover, when a state's trade policies are more complex, political elites on the left are more likely to frame their discussions by highlighting the need for protectionist measures, while political elites on the right are more likely to frame their discussions by highlighting the benefits of free trade. We test this argument by analyzing the discussions of international trade put for by political elites in their party platforms. The results show that the welfare effects and complexity of a state's trade policies affect when, why, and how elites discuss international trade in the domestic political sphere. We conclude by highlighting the implications these results have for future research focusing on the creation of trade policies.
Keywords: trade policy, discussion, complexity, welfare
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